who?

Edited March 16Mar 16 by Colm

Exactly

I like the reggae instrumentation of 'Everything I Own' but nothing else. Not really into much of what I know of Boy George's solo output in general considering I'm a fan of Culture Club.

'The Crying Game' is better at least though.

18. Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley – Jack Your Body (score 2/10)

Number 1 for 2 weeks

Kept off number 1: Alison Moyet - is This Love? & Robbie Nevil – C’est La Vie (number 3 peaks)

House ! Jack Your Body is a landmark in the history of house music, being the first to get to the top of the charts in the UK and the first to get most of its sales from the 12”. This sounds fairly up my street, but clearly isn’t so more on that later.

Back in the late 80s in Chicago, a new type of ecstatic dancing was appearing on the house scene and was known as ‘jacking’, which was the inspiration for the track’s title (I fail to see though how anyone could dance ecstatically to this song!). The song itself is very minimalist and down tempo, not your usual house track but I can only imagine how alien it must have sounded to the general public at the time (I as a bit too young to notice the charts really, some songs stood out to me – the next one in particular, but not this). A few other facts about Jack Your Body – most of its sales should have been excluded from the charts as the total run time of the 12” exceeded the 25 minute limit, but the chart compliers didn’t notice until it was at number 1 (this could be ultimate non number 1). This was a bona fide one hit wonder under his own name, although the song was re-released with a new mix 4 more times. Steve was also known as JM Silk (Jack Master Silk) and he had further dance hits in the US under this name.

So, why the low score for what on paper is a hugely influential groundbreaking house track? Well, its so DULL. It just leaves me cold and the song goes nowhere with no hook (aside from the repeat chant of the song title, which isn't even interesting in an annoying way) or point of interest. Sad to say, it shouldn’t be boring, but it is.

On the plus side, it inspired better songs and pushed the genre in the UK so I can’t deny its influence.

Peaking at number 3 over the two weeks we have the utterly wonderful Is This Love? from Alison Moyet (such a shame this wasn't a number 1 for her) and C'est La Vie by not B*witched.

Edited March 16Mar 16 by Jester

1987 was the first year I remember of the charts so I like some of the number ones for the simple fact they give me fond memories.

I don't mind the bottom 2 records but neither are ones I'd listen to through choice. They're both inferior covers and sound more pointless than bad.

Steve 'Silk' Hurley though is a record I'd put near the top. It's true that house music got better as the music evolved but I like the way its all about the beat and has minimal vocals.

My bottom 2 number ones are both overplayed and irritating but I'll wait until they appear in the countdown before I say anymore.

I agree on "jack your body". I appreciate it for the expansion of the genre but it's never a song i liked or would return to. See also "pump up the volume".

It's all about the bassline for me.

I like “Jack Your Body” - I think I first heard it on “Pick Of The Pops” and couldn’t believe something like that existed in 1986/7. It is quite rudimentary for its genre of course, but more like a 7/10 for me.

Oh I still pretty much dislike Jack Your Body, so annoyingly repetitive (dance beats aside), so I'd stick that lower than Boy George. At least that's an actual song as opposed to the snippets of the same bits...😇

I can understand why 'Jack Your Body' would be divisive but I have no issues with the loopy vocal and that production is excellent, what a game changer

"Jack Your Body" is ace and was so influential for the whole acid house scene evolving afterwards. Should be at least Top 10 ;).

Looks like I’ve picked one with a polarised view there.

Be prepared for more!

I'm bracing for It's a Sin or You Win Again ☠️

Edited March 17Mar 17 by Colm

Everything I Own I'm not keen on so it's in the right place. Jack Your Body was certainly an unusual number 1 for that time but not one I really liked that much so I wouldn't put it much higher up the list.

17. The Firm – Star Trekkin’ (score: 3/10)

Number 1 for 2 weeks

Kept at number 3: George Michael – I Want Your Sex

Oh the conflicting annoyance and ear worm of a novelty record! This particular specimen is a parody of Star Trek and had an interesting genesis from camp fire to huge hit. Rory Kehoe wrote some verses about the characters in the original series of Star Trek and these were sung around campfires – although the song was sung to several different tunes before a total rewrite with partner John O’Connor. The duo attempted to find a record label and after some failed attempts they found a small label to record and added 2 more members along the way.

500 copies were produced and set to radio stations and after an airing in Liverpool things snowballed with Simon Bates from Radio 1 promoting the single and it charted at number 74 before shooting to 13 then number 1, selling 60,000 copies a day! A viral hit before viral hits.

Why Star Trek? Possibly, prompted by the upturn in interest in the Original series due to Star Trek: The Next Generation premiering later in 1987. The song features catchphrases from Star Trek. Well, actually it doesn’t really – amazingly the ‘Its life Jim, but not as we know it’ was never said by Spock, but such is the success of the song its now pretty much in the public consciousness as being so. ‘Scotty, beam me up’ similarly wasn’t in the series, but in the film The Voyage Home which was released the year before. As for Kirk’s ‘We come in peace, shoot to kill’, this was obviously not in the series, but the sentiment was there!

The video is an integral part of the mass appeal to this song imo. It was produced over a week (to be on TOTP in time) on shoestring budget by some art graduates call the Film Garage in the style of Claymation stop motion and the characters are based on food items (potatoes for example) with the Enterprise itself being made out of pizza (saucer section) and sausages (drive section). Apparently the concept was Kirk hallucinating about food after being in deep space for too long.

As a child of 11, I loved this and lapped up the video. I now look at it with slightly rose tinted glasses, as a huge Trekkie but concede that it is highly annoying.

That George Michael song kept at 3 isn't one I am a fan of.

Eventhough I love Star Trek, I found this song always horrible - one of the worst #1’s of the 80s. The vocals are so annoying and awful. For me the clear last place.

On 14/03/2026 at 21:57, dandy* said:

I really dislike that Boy George track, it's just sooooo dull.

The Ken Boothe 1974 version, also No.1 was the best.

Jack Your Body - maybe I'd have it a bit higher, but it's hardly a big favourite of mine. Star Trekkin' is quite funny but I won't argue with it being down here, the high pitched vocal is pretty annoying.

Agreed with the Boy George position...

Jack Your Body is a classic of it's genre, I can see how it's an acquired taste, but I think it was quite a watershed moment before a certain other song later would take it to a whole new level.

Star Trekkin' is the song I was referring to earlier

I'm not actually a Trekkie at all, I've never seen even an episode (more of a Whovian x), but I do have a soft spot for this sort of kitsch novelty. The progression of the track is actually quite funny and fits into the theme well, even if the rest of the lyrics is every obvious gag you can think of.

No huge losses so far, 'Jack Your Body' is alright I suppose but not exactly exhilarating.